Queen's Ground and New Ground (5-6 fm.). These areas together extend from Queen's Ground Buoy to the New Grounds Buoy and the ground around the latter. It is the inner margin of the main channel which here leads obliquely across the Sound from the Western Entrance towards the mouth of the Cattewater. The ground is clean, presumably from the action of the main tidal currents, and is composed mainly of a coarse shell gravel, amongst which are many whole shells and rather small flat stones. The shells and stones afford attachment to small growths of red algae (the rare Stenogramma may be especially noted) and to many of the larger calyptoblastic hydroids and branching polyzoans. Portunus depurator is common amongst the gravel, which supports a sparse lamellibranch fauna including Spisula. The polychaete fauna differs considerably from that found on the edge of Asia Shoal and Millbay Channel.